Portable,multiple-use cabinet



June 17, 1969 H. M. LYMAN. JR

PORTABLE, MULTIPLE-USE CABINET Sheet Filed Aug. 21, 1967 INVENTORI HUGH M. LYMAN, Jr.

ATTORNEY.

June 17, 1969 H. M. LYMAN, JR

PORTABLE; MULTIPLE -USB CABINET Sheet Filed Aug. 21, 1967 INVENTOR. HUGH M' LYMAN, Jr.

ATTORNEY.

June 17, 1969 H. M. LYMAN, JR

PORTABLE, MULTIPLB USE CABINET Sheet Filed Aug. 21, 1967 INVENTORI III l l l l I I I I l l l |.r I f l r l I I I I ll HUGH M. LYMAN, Jr.

AT TORNE Y.

June 17, 1969 H.M. LYMAN, JR

PORTABLE, MULTIPLE-USE CABINET Sheet Filed Aug. 21, 1967 mvsmozr. HUGH M LYMAN, Jr.

AT TORNE Y.

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 312198 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roller mounted cabinet for multiple use, comprising an exterior framework forming a base unit arranged to receive special components in varying structural arrangements that make the cabinet usable as a room divider, shelving for general storage, tote-tray storage, a teachers station with writing surface and filing drawers, garment storage, or a teaching aid. The components can also be arranged so that the cabinet can serve more than one of these functions simultaneously. Removable doors are provided for the cabinet so that it can be used open faced or with swinging doors, and a back panel can be removed to allow access to the interior of the cabinet and can, if desired, be used inside the cabinet to centrally partition the opposite sides of the cabinet. The doors can be removed without damage to the cabinet and without changing the attractive appearance of the basic cabinet.

Brief description With the advent of open type school construction, wherein large rooms are provided and classes are grouped in accordance with the capability, skill and needs of each individual student, there has developed an increased need for means to divide a room such that groups of varying size can be readily accommodated. The means used to divide the room into teaching areas of the proper size to accommodate the various groups must also be attrac tive and easily rearranged to accommodate changes in the size of the groups and differences in the nature of the classes taught.

Although requirements vary, most teaching areas will desirably include, a teaching station, having a writing surface, filing cabinet, book storage, teacher wardrobe, and a general storage area; book storage areas for the texts required by the class; wardrobes for coats, hats, boots, lunch boxes, etc. belonging to the students; general storage areas for boxes, bottles, tote-trays, etc.; and training aids such as chalkboards, projection screens, flannel boards and magnetic boards.

The particular physical requirements for each type of class being taught may vary, and the size of the group being taught may vary from semester to semester throughout the school year. Thus, it may be necessary to change the physical arrangement of the teaching area a number of times during the year to enable the overall open area, or room, to be most efiiciently used.

To obtain maximum flexibility in the arrangement of the teaching areas, at the lowest possible cost, it is necessary that they be formed by cabinets that serve as partitions between areas and that can be arranged to perform as a teaching station; a book storage area; a general storage area; or a wardrobe; as may be needed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile cabinet having removable and interchangeable components that can be arranged to enable the cabinet to serve one or more of the desired functions.

In accomplishing this object, I utilize a frameworktype base unit, mounted on wheels and including a top, a bottom and side walls interconnecting the top and the bottom. The top, bottom and side walls are constructed to releasably position a number of removable components comprising shelves and dividers and the side walls are additionally constructed to releasably support swinging doors and training aid accessories. Drawers and writing units can also be supported as removable components.

The back Wall of the cabinet can be easily removed and can alternatively be inserted centrally in the cabinet to divide the opposite faces of the cabinet, and the opposite sides can then be arranged as desired for multiple use.

Drawer and writing table units are provided to be fixed in the cabinet so that they can be pulled out for use and be pushed in for storage in conventional drawer fashion.

The exterior surfaces of the cabinet can be used as a chalkboard and/or as a magnetic or flannel board, and it is a simple matter to attach a chalk and paint tray, a chart and map rail, or a viewing screen, as desired.

Additional objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, disclosing what is presently contemplated as being the best mode of the invention.

The drawings FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the framework-type, base unit of the invention and the removable components used with the base unit to make the cabinet suitable for any of a number of particular purposes;

FIG. 2, a perspective view, showing the base unit, with removable doors hung thereon;

FIG. 3, an enlarged, horizontal section, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, an enlargedvertical section, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5, a perspective view of the cabinet, arranged as a teachers station;

FIG. 6, an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal section taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7, .an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8, an enlarged, fragmentary front elevation view, taken within the line 88 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9, an enlarged and paritally exploded view of a writing unit;

FIG. 10, a front elevation view of the cabinet, arranged as a student wardrobe;

FIG. 11, a similar view, with the cabinet arranged for book storage;

FIG. 12, another similar view, with the cabinet arranged for general storage;

FIG. 13, a view like FIG. 12, but showing tote-tray storage;

FIG. 14, a vertical section, taken on the line 1414 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 15, a vertical section, taken on the line 15-15 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 16, a vertical section, taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 17, a rear elevation view, showing how a projection screen, map and chart rail, and chalk and paint trays can be mounted; and

FIG. 18, a side elevation of the unit as shown in FIG. 17.

Detailed description Referring now to the drawings: In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the portable, multiple-use cabinet of the invention comprises a framework-type base unit, shown generally at 20, and removable components, including: full-width, vertical dividers 21; a half-width vertical divider 22; file drawer unit 23; half-width, full-length shelves 24; half-width, half-length shelves 25, doors 26, writing unit 27; garment hangers 28; full-width, full-length shelves 29; full-width, partiallength shelves 30 that reach more than one-half the length of the cabinet; full-width, partial-length shelves 31 that reach less than one-half the length of the cabinet; a chalk tray 32; a paint tray 33; a map and chart rail 34; and an adjustable projection screen 35. The removable components can be removably attached to the exterior framework of the base unit in various combinations to provide the desired cabinet arrangements.

The exterior framework includes a generally rectangular bottom 36 having a down-turned flange 36a formed therearound and caster-type wheels 37 fixed to the undersurface at each corner.

A post 38 extends upwardly from each corner of the bottom to a corresponding corner of a top 39 that has an upstanding flange 39a therearound. Upper surface of the top 39 thus forms a storage area bounded by the upstanding flange 3911. Each corner post 38 is hollow and of rectangular cross-section. One face 38a of each post is flush with the flanges 36a and 39a on a long side of the bottom and top and another face 36b is flush with the flanges 36a and 39a at a short side of the bottom and top. The faces 38a each have a vertical row of elongate, spaced slots 40 formed therein for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

End walls 41 and 42 are fixed between posts 38 at the short sides of the bottom and top and are flush with faces 38, the posts opposite faces 38b to form flush interior surfaces at each side of the base unit.

Vertical rows of spaced holes 43, 44, 45, and 46, are provided in each of the end walls, with the holes 43 and 44 being arranged close to the posts 38 and the holes 45 and 46 being arranged on opposite sides of the vertical center line of the end walls.

Holes 47 and 48 are provided at the tops and bottoms of end walls 41 and 42, respectively, and in the center of the panels, between the holes 43 and 44 to receive a vertical panel 49, when the panel is used as a longitudinal divider, all as will be more fully described.

Upper and lower holes 50 and 51, corresponding to holes 47 and 48 are provided in the vertical posts 38, adjacent to holes 44, to receive the vertical panel 49 when it is used as a back wall, in a manner to be further explained. Holes 52-57 are provided in the bottom 36 to provide for attachment of vertical, transverse dividers to be described and corresponding holes 58-63 are provided in the top 39.

The holes 43-48, and 50-63 do not need to extend completely through the members in which they are formed, and as shown they extend only partially through.

Vertical panel 49 is sized to just fit in the opening formed through the base unit and such that detents 64 arranged to be biased by springs 64a outwardly from opposite edges of the panel will fit into holes 50 and 51 to secure panel 49 in place as a back wall (FIG. for the base unit. The vertical panel 49 can also be moved into the center of the base unit where detents 64 will be biased into holes 47 and 48. When the vertical panel is thus positioned it becomes a central, longitudinal divider and separates the two sides of the unit, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. To remove the panel it is only necessary to slide a thin blade between the vertical panel and the base unit. This forces the detent into the recess 64b provided therefore in the panel and releases the panel.

Doors 26 are each arranged to be suspended from posts 38 by special hinges, shown generally at 65, FIGS. 3 and 4. Conventional door latches are used to hold the doors closed. The latch members illustrated include magnetic plates.

Each hinge 65 includes a bracket 66 with arms 67 and 68 that straddles the post 38 and a pair of hooks 69, each adapted to fit into an elongate slot 40 and to be lowered such that the curved portions 69a of the hooks extend downwardly inside post 38 to prevent the hinge being pulled away from the post, without is first being raised to allow the curved portions to be withdrawn from the slots. The door are fastened to angled straps 70 in conventional fashion and the other end of the straps are wrapped around a pin 71, that also extends downwardly through wrapped ends of straps 72 that form extensions of a plate 73 projecting outwardly from bracket 66.

Conventional door latches are used to hold the doors closed against the face of the base unit. Thus, magnetic latch members 74, FIG. 1, are screwed into top 39 and corresponding members, not shown, are provided on the interiors of the doors.

Full-width, vertical dividers 21 each also include detents and the detents 64 project from the edge of the dividers to fit into certain of the holes 52-54 and 58-60; depending upon the positioning of the dividers. The dividers 21 are each provided with vertical rows of holes 75 and 76, corresponding to the holes 43 and 44 in the end panels 41 and 42 so that the dividers can support other removable components or can be used with the end walls to provide such support. v

Half-width vertical divider 22 also has detents, projecting therefrom to project into holes 54 and 55 and 60 and 61 that are centrally located in the base unit. Vertical rows of holes 79 and 80 in the divider 22 are spaced to correspond with the rows of holes 43 and 45 or 44 and 46.

The shelves 24, 25, 29, 30 and 31 are all adapted to rest on clips 81 that are inserted into desired ones of the holes 43-46, 75, 76, 79 and 80. As is best seen in FIG. 8, clips 81 each include a pin 81a that projects into the panel hole, an upright leg 81b that is positioned flush against the panel and an outwardly projecting leg 810 on which the shelf rests.

Garment hanger 28 is mounted in the same way as the shelves, but with the coat hooks 82 suspended therebeneath. The coat hooks are conventional and are merely screwed into the board 83, that with the books 82 makes up the garment hanger 28. As Will become apparent the hooks 82 can also be screwed into the top 39 of the base unit, as when the cabinet is to be used as a teachers station, with a teachers wardrobe.

File drawer unit 23 is of conventional cabinet construction, with a housing 84 and pull-out drawers 85 and 86. The unit can be supported on a shelf or can be mounted on legs 81b of clips 81. Screws, not shown, are inserted in the shelf on which the unit is supported or through holes 81c in clips 81 and into the housing 84 to prevent the file unit being inadvertently pulled from the base unit.

Writing unit 27, FIG. 9, includes a lower frame 87 that rests on clips 81 and that can be secured thereto by screws 88 passed upwardly through the clips and into the frame and a writing surface 89 that is supported by the lower frame. Rollers 90, carried by conventional drawer-type rollers guides 91, FIG. 5, suspended from the upper frame are adapted to roll in grooves 91a in the lower frame as the writing surface is pulled out of the base unit to form a cantilevered table top.

Chalk tray 32 is of usual channel configuration, with a channel 85 wide enough to accommodate an eraser, not shown. Hooks 91, similar to the hooks 69 previously described, are fixed to and project from the rear of the channel so that they will fit into the slots 40 to support the chalk tray.

Paint tray 33 is similar to chalk tray 32 in all respects, except that instead of having a channel configuration, it includes an elongate well 92 to receive paint jars, and the like. Hooks 93, like hooks 69 and 91 previously described, protrude from the rear of the paint tray so that the tray can be attached by inserting them into slots 40.

Map and chart rail 34 also has hooks 94, like the hooks 93, projecting from the rear thereof to fit into slots 40. In addition, upturned hooks 95 project from the front of the rail to receive and support the eyes fastened to the roller of a map or chart, not shown.

Projection screen 35 includes a frame 96 with four hooks 97, like the hooks 94, projecting from the rear thereof at both the center and the bottom of the frame, with one pair of hooks at each side of the frame.

A panel-type viewing surface 98 is hingedly connected at 99 to the bottom of frame 96 and chains 100, fixed to the top of the frame are adapted to be connected to catches 101 on the side of the viewing surface and to hold the screen at any desired angle.

Frame 96 is attached to the base unit by hooks 97 being inserted and secured in slots 40 and the lengths of chains 100 are adjusted to arrange the viewing surface for best observation by the students.

Although other arrangements of the removable structure may be possible, those shown in FIGS. 5 and -18 allow the cabinet to be used as a room divider general storage, tote-tray storage, a teachers station, garment storage and a teaching aid.

In FIG. 5, the cabinet is shown arranged for use as a teachers station. Thus, it includes a teachers wardrobe formed in the space between end wall 41 and a first fullwidth vertical divider 21, a filing area formed between the first full-width vertical divider 21 and a second full-width vertical divider 21 and a book storage and writing area formed between the second full-width divider 21 and the end wall 42.

A coat hook 101 is shown screwed into the top 39 of the base unit and plenty of room is provided to receive garments hung on the hook. The bottom 36 of the cabinet, inside the wardrobe area, will receive boots, umbrellas, etc.

Full-width partial length shelf 31 is inserted between the vertical dividers 21 and the file drawer unit 23 is supported therebetween on clips 81. Screws are used to secure the outer housing of the file unit to the clips 81, so that the entire file drawer unit will not be pulled from the cabinet when the drawers are opened. The shelf 31, the top of the file drawer unit and the bottom of the cabinet all provide general storage shelves.

Writing unit 27 is installed between the second vertical divider 21 and end wall 42, with the lower frame 85, secured by screws to clips 81 so that the lower frame will not be pulled from the cabinet as the writing surface is pulled out for use.

Full width, partial length shelves 30 are also provided between the second vertical divider and the end wall 22 to provide, with the portion of bottom 36 beneath them, book storage, or general storage, as desired.

The doors 26 can be mounted on the cabinet when it is set up as a teachers station, or, if desired, they can be left ofi. If used, they can be swung a full 270, to be against the sides of the cabinet and completely out-ofthe-way of a person using the teachers station.

When the cabinet is used as a teachers station, the vertical panel 49 will usually be positioned as a back wall, in the manner previously described, to prevent items falling through the cabinet.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 14, the cabinet can be arranged as a students wardrobe, by positioning vertical panel 49 in the center of the base unit, in the manner previously disclosed, and then arranging the garment hangers 22 with their hooks suspended and their boards 82 arranged as shelves, spaced slightly below top 39 and on each side of the vertical panel 49. With this arrangement, the top shelves formed by the garment hangers will hold lunch boxes, the students coats can be hung on the hooks, and overshoes and the like can be set on bottom 36.

In FIGS. 11 and 15, the cabinet is shown arranged for book storage, with half-length shelves 25 on each side of the centrally positioned half-width vertical divider 22 at one side of vertical panel 49, and with half-width, full length shelves 24 on the other side of vertical panel 49. More or fewer shelves 24 and 25 can be used, as desired.

FIGS. 12 and 16 show the cabinet arranged for general storage, with the full-width, full-length shelves 29 extending completely across the base unit 20, between end walls 41 and 42.

FIG. 13 shows how the cabinet arranged as in FIGS. 12 and 17 can be advantageously used for storing totetrays 98 that may contain loose items, such as crayons, pencils, etc. or even special clothing items such as may be required for physical education courses.

With any of the arrangements shown in FIGS. 10-16, the doors 26 can be used or omitted, as desired. If the doors are not used, the appearance of the cabinet is not adversely affected since no screw holes, or the like, are left and no hinges are attached to the cabinet. Also, with the arrangements shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and 16, the vertical panel 49 can be used as a rear wall or, if it is desired that the shelves be accessible from both sides of the cabinet, it can be omitted.

As is shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the training aids, such as chalk tray 32, paint tray 33, and map and chart rail 34 are each attachable to the base unit by inserting their respective hooks into slots 40. These members can all be attached to the base unit at the same time, as shown, for example, or one or more can be removed. They can be positioned at any desired height merely by proper selection of the slots 40 into which their hooks are inserted.

Frame 96 of a training aid projection screen 35 is also attached to base unit 20 by inserting its hooks 97 into slots 40, at a desired height. Chains 100 are then released from catches 101 of panel-type viewing surface 98, the viewing surface is pivoted around hinge 99 until the desired angle is set and the chains are pulled taut and refastened to the catches 101 to hold the viewing sur face in position.

If desired, the viewing surface can be covered with flannel or other material for use as a flannel or tack board. In this case, the chains would normally hold the viewing surface tight against frame 91. Also, the exterior surfaces of the vertical panel 49, the doors 26, and the end walls 41 and 42 can be coated with chalk board paint or other suitable material to enable them to be used as training aids.

The cabinet disclosed herein is easily moved on rollers 37 from place-to-place, and can be used individually or in line with others to divide a large room into smaller teaching areas. By proper arrangement of the removable components the cabinets can then be easily set up to meet the needs of the persons using the areas with a minimum of expense.

I claim:

1. A cabinet for multiple use, comprising a base unit having a generally rectangular bottom, corner posts extending upwardly from said bottom, a top supported by said corner posts and oppositely facing end walls interconnecting the top and the bottom and adjacent ones of the corner posts such that the corner posts and the end walls form flush interior surfaces and wheels mounted on the underside of the bottom to form rollers for the cabinet;

a vertical panel adapted to fit closely within the opening formed by the posts, the top, the bottom and the flush interior surfaces;

means for releasably fixing the vertical panel in a plurality of selected positions in the opening;

shelves, adapted to be releasably secured in the base unit;

doors, adapted to fit against the face of the base unit defined by a pair of corner posts, the top and the bottom; and

hinge means for each door releasably connecting the doors to the one of said pair of corner posts of the cabinet so that the doors and the hinge means can 7 v be lifted away from the posts without changing th appearance of the base unit.

2. A cabinet for multiple use according to claim 1, wherein the hinge means comprises a strap having one end connected to the edge of the door, and the other end wrapped around a hinge pin;

another strap having one of its ends wrapped around the said hinge pin;

a bracket fixed to the other end of the other said strap, said bracket including at least one arm arranged to fit closely against a corner post and a pair of hooks, each adapted to fit into an elongate slot in the corner post; and

elongate slots in the corner posts, adapted to receive the hooks.

3. A cabinet for multiple use according to claim 2,

wherein the bracket includes a pair of arms arranged to fit closely against the corner post with the arms then straddling the post.

4. A cabinet for multiple use according to claim 1, wherein the means for releasably fixing the vertical panel and the vertical dividers in place comprise holes in the base unit; and

spring biased detents carried by the vertical panel and the vertical dividers, said detents being adapted to be biased into said holes to secure the vertical panel and vertical dividers in place.

5. A cabinet for multiple use, according to claim 1,

further including vertical dividers; and

means for releasably fixing said vertical dividers in position between the top and bottom of the base.

6. A cabinet for multiple use according to claim 5, further including a file-drawer unit having a housing and at least one drawer slideable into and out of said housing; and

means for releasably attaching said drawer housing between a pair of said vertical dividers; and

a writing unit comprising a lower frame supporting a writing surface such that the writing surface can be moved between a position over the lower frame and a cantilevered position extending outwardly from the frame; and

means for releasably securing said lower frame between an end wall and a vertical divider, whereby said lower frame is held in the base unit as the writing surface is pulled out for use.

7. A cabinet for multiple use according to claim 6,

wherein the hinge means comprises a strap having one end connected to the edge of the door,

and the other end wrapped around a hinge pin;

another strap having one of its ends wrapped around the said hinge pin;

a bracket fixed to the other end of the other said strap, said bracket including a pair of arms arranged to closely straddle a corner post and a pair of hooks, each adapted to fit into an elongate slot in the corner post; and

elongate slots in the corner posts, adapted to receive the books.

8. A cabinet for multiple use according to claim 7, wherein the means for releasably fixing the vertical panel and the vertical dividers in place comprise holes in the base unit; and

spring biased detents carried by the vertical panel and the vertical dividers, said detents being adapted to be biased into said holes to secure the vertical panel and vertical dividers in place.

9. A cabinet for multiple use, comprising a base unit having a bottom, a top, and slotted support posts defining an opening with said top and said bottom;

at least one door adapted to fit against the base unit to close the opening;

hinge means for the said door, including books for releasably extending into the slots of the posts to thereby connect the door to the post such that the door and the hinge can be lifted away from the post without changing the appearance of the base unit; and

at least one training aid having hooks thereon adapted to engage with the slots of the support posts to secure the training aid to a face of the base unit. 10. A cabinet for multiple use, Comprising a base unit having a bottom, a top, and support posts defining an opening with said top and said bottom, said posts having vertically extending slots therein;

at least one door, adapted to fit against the base unit to close the opening; and

hinge means for the said door, releasably connecting the door to the post such that the door and the hinge can be lifted away from the post without changing the appearance of the base unit, said hinge means comprising a strap having one end connected to the edge of the door and its other end wrapped around a hinge pin, another strap having one of its ends wrapped around the said hinge pin, a bracket fixed to the other end of the other strap and including a pair of arms arranged to closely straddle a post and a pair of hooks, each adapted to fit into the vertically extending slots in the posts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 853,384 5/1907 Tolnes l6149 1,648,529 11/1927 Zostas 3l2198 X 3,053,602 9/1962 Golenpaul 3l220l 3,126,236 3/1964 Buchan et a1. 3l2-201 3,171,157 3/1965 Loughlin 16135 3,282,634 11/1966 Marcus 312-199 3,329,473 7/1967 Dickson 3l2257 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

